Kidnapping Suspects Sued

Parents Of Bloomfield Teenager Seek To Freeze Defendants' Assets

August 03, 2007|By STEVEN GOODE; Courant Staff Writer

The family of a girl who disappeared from her Bloomfield home has filed a civil suit against the man and two women accused of kidnapping her.

The suit was filed shortly after 15-year-old Danielle Cramer was found June 6 by police in a hidden closet during a search of the West Hartford home shared by Adam Gault, 41, Ann Murphy, 40, and Kimberly Cray, 26.

The three are facing an array of criminal charges in connection with Danielle's disappearance, including first-degree kidnapping. Gault is also charged with numerous counts of second-degree sexual assault.

The suit, filed by Danielle's parents, Jennifer and Jamie Hesse, seeks to freeze Gault's, Murphy's and Cray's assets up to $1 million and seeks more than $15,000 in damages.

``This action is prudent and appropriate so that any assets that these individuals have will be available to satisfy what, in my opinion, will be a substantial judgment,'' said the Hesses' attorney, Marc Needelman.

The defendants are accused of hiding Danielle, who ran away from home in June 2006, from her family and authorities who were seeking her return, and lying about her whereabouts.

The suit alleges that Danielle was the victim of false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, battery, assault, negligence and reckless misconduct.

The suit also contends that the defendants inflicted emotional distress on Jennifer and Jamie Hesse that will cause them to suffer long-term mental pain and anguish and severe emotional trauma.

The assets of Murphy, who owns the Newington Road home where Cramer was found, and Gault and Cray have been temporarily frozen, pending a hearing scheduled for Sept. 10, Needelman said, adding that the Hesses haven't given much thought to the civil action.

``They're focusing on Danielle's successful recovery and return to normalcy,'' he said.

Gault, Murphy and Cray are scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Hartford again on Aug. 23.